Whether fans care to admit it or not, the front office duo of John Paxson and Gar Forman, also known (usually not lovingly) as GarPax, has actually done an excellent job of accumulating quality talent since the summer of 2017.

If you remember, that summer spelled the end of a terrible experiment. Jimmy Butler, Rajon Rondo and an aging Dwyane Wade, together? That combination could be competitive in NBA 2K video games, but the results didn’t show on the actual hard court.

Fast forward now to September 2019. It’s far too early to declare the rebuild complete. It’s not over quite yet, but the team has come a long way.

Could the 2019-20 season be the one where the NBA playoffs make a triumphant return to the Windy City? Maybe LaVine and Lauri Markkanen will make a strong All-Star bid.

Can this team take the next step toward their championship aspirations? Only time will tell, but in the meantime, here are five reasons to be excited about the upcoming campaign.